The Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana has served notice that its ongoing industrial action for improved service conditions “remains in force until further notice.”
It has thus given the government a 48-hour ultimatum to among others pay what it says is “non-negotiable” outstanding Tier-2 which goes back to between 2010 and 2016.
“Notwithstanding the commitment of the National Executive Council to engage the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission on our conditions of service, it is our absolute resolve not to resume our official duties until the government has fully paid our outstanding Tier 2 contributions dating 2010 to 2016. This is non-negotiable.”
“As a matter of urgency, we require of government to pay the outstanding Tier 2 contributions within 48 hours”, the press release added.
The association after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) on Monday, February 1, 2021, also directed government to “act fairly by extending the interim market premium and non-basic allowance to all members of our union without further delay”.
Meanwhile, the group has asked its management members in public universities who have resorted to intimidation of other members to desist from such “ugly acts”.
The Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana announced a nationwide strike on January 2, 2021, over outstanding Tier-2 contributions of its retired members.
It is also demanding an improved market premium and non-basic allowance as well as the migration of public universities onto the Controller and Accountant General payroll system.
The National Labour Commission has told the Senior Staff Association of the Universities of Ghana to call off its strike and has outlined measures for a resolution for the union and government.
The commission said the association failed to exhaust all laid down procedures before declaring the strike.
In a letter to the leadership of the Senior Staff Association, NLC said the government and the union “should go back to the negotiation table in good faith on the non-basic allowances and when the tier two pension arrears will be paid”.
The commission suggested three months for them to engage in mediation and that “the government should do everything possible to pay the pension arrears outstanding by the end of March 2021.”
But the Senior Staff say government through its agencies acted in bad faith by failing to comply with the NLC’s directives.
The strike disrupted the provisions of key services and resulted in the basic schools on the University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Ghana.
